The Washington Capitals are heading to Hershey’s Giant Center for its second game of the preseason – a tilt against the rival Philadelphia Flyers.
The Capitals will field a roster that blends NHL veterans and prospects. Notably, captain Alex Ovechkin will not play or travel up due to a lower-body injury. Bogdan Trineyev, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Josh Dunne, Jonny Brodzinski, Dylan McIlrath, and Justin Holl are once again on the roster after playing last night against the Boston Bruins — a 3-2 shootout loss.
This marks the second straight year and the fourth time overall that the Capitals have played a preseason game in Hershey. Last year, the Caps beat the Flyers 5-1 in front of a crowd of 10,420. Washington previously played preseason contests at Giant Center on September 24, 2006 against the New Jersey Devils and on September 25, 2005 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Capitals roster vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Forwards
| No. | Player |
|---|---|
| 76 | Jonny Brodzinski |
| 28 | Andrew Cristall |
| 40 | Josh Dunne |
| 53 | Ethen Frank |
| 25 | Jordan Kyrou |
| 9 | Ryan Leonard |
| 63 | Ivan Miroshnichenko |
| 23 | Theodor Niederbach |
| 85 | Ludwig Persson |
| 21 | Aliaksei Protas |
| 62 | Ilya Protas |
| 17 | Dylan Strome |
| 87 | Bogdan Trineyev |
Defensemen
| No. | Player |
|---|---|
| 41 | Ryan Chesley |
| 42 | Martin Fehervary |
| 4 | Justin Holl |
| 27 | Timothy Liljegren |
| 2 | Jacob MacDonald |
| 39 | Jon McDonald |
| 52 | Dylan McIlrath |
Goaltenders
| No. | Player |
|---|---|
| 79 | Charlie Lindgren |
| 33 | Clay Stevenson |
The last of Washington’s marquee offseason additions, Jordan Kyrou, will make his Capitals preseason debut and is expected to start on a line with Aliaksei Protas and Ilya Protas. The two brothers will make their first exhibition appearance back where they began their pro careers in North America, as members of the AHL’s Bears.
As in their first preseason outing, the Capitals will get a look at several players on the fringe of their roster, including Brodzinski, Dunne, Trineyev, Andrew Cristall, and Ethen Frank. Bears fans will also get a look at some of the players expected to be top AHL contributors this year, like Theodor Niederbach, Ryan Chesley, and Jacob MacDonald.
According to head coach Spencer Carbery, the Capitals will see Charlie Lindgren in net for half the game before Clay Stevenson relieves him.
Meanwhile, the Flyers will sport a roster, per Kevin Kurtz, that has few stars beyond Porter Malone, and more resembles the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Cole Knuble, the son of former Flyers and Capitals forward Mike Knuble, will get a jersey as will enforcer Garrett Wilson.
Flyers roster
Forwards
| No. | Player |
|---|---|
| 82 | Matthew Gard |
| 10 | Garrett Wilson |
| 23 | Jack Studnicka |
| 50 | Noah Powell |
| 54 | Cole Knuble |
| 77 | Jett Luchanko |
| 91 | Carl Grundstrom |
| 20 | Alex Bump |
| 94 | Porter Martone |
| 21 | Zach Aston-Reese |
| 86 | Denver Barkey |
| 37 | Riley Thompson |
Defensemen
| No. | Player |
|---|---|
| 96 | Ty Murchison |
| 3 | Helge Grans |
| 75 | Hunter McDonald |
| 44 | Simon Benoit |
| 59 | Oliver Bonk |
| 5 | David Jiricek |
Goaltenders
| No. | Player |
|---|---|
| 53 | Joseph Woll |
| 64 | Carson Bjarnason |
The matchup will mark the second straight year the Capitals and Flyers have met for a preseason game at Giant Center, the longtime home of Washington’s AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. It will also be the Capitals’ fourth preseason game in Hershey overall.
Last September, Washington routed Philadelphia 5-1 in front of 10,420 fans at Giant Center. The Capitals’ two previous preseason visits came nearly two decades earlier: a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sept. 25, 2005, and a 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sept. 24, 2006. Ovechkin suited up in the September 25, 2005, game against the Penguins ahead of his rookie season in the NHL.
Tonight’s game will air on Monumental Sports Network. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm inside Giant Center. Washington is 2-1 all-time in preseason games at Giant Center.
